Opening Thoughts on a Bagel
Kaufman’s Coffee and Bagels Opens on Central
The NY Rye by Kaufman’s Coffee and Bagels in it’s natural bagel-eating environment. Photo by Clarke Condé.
Bagels have been a problem for as long as I can remember here in Albuquerque. I grew up in New York and I drove straight to Albuquerque from Harlem, so consider that my bias when I say my first impression of the things that passed for bagels here was not positive. There were many good things about long-gone Fred’s on Central, but the bagels were not really one of them. That said, when I arrived, I was ready to put bagels behind me anyway. If I wanted New York I would have stayed in New York. BTW, what is this carne asada you speak of?
Some people claim that New York bagels get their character from the water. Not simply the act of boiling, rather than steaming or dealing with the dough in some other manner like chilling, but the composition of the trace minerals within the water used to make the dough itself. Albuquerque has roughly twice the minerality in our water than that found in New York City. I’m willing to bet that has something to do with replicating a New York bagel, but do we need to replicate a New York City bagel? I’d settle for a good bagel of any origin. Kaufman’s Coffee and Bagels on Central right by El Vado Motel, officially opening this Saturday, is making a pretty good effort of doing just that.
Hot, split and bagged togo with the right amount of cream cheese, the NY rye I tried passed the test. A harder exterior and soft, doughy interior makes for a perfect bagel. A bit of a sheen to the bagel as you would expect and a little less of a hole than you might want. Like I always say, you’ve got to adjust for the altitude. The rye has a great smell, too. Not overpowering, but enough to remind you it is there.
One thing bagel snobs say is you should never put fruits or coloring into your bagels. I wouldn’t want that kind of stuff in my bagel, but I’m not opposed to it on principle. My goto is always a salt bagel, which Kaufman’s only caries in a pretzel style. I’ll also take a pass on that, but I do think it is worth mentioning that Kaufman’s seems to be able to walk the bagel purest line with aplomb. If you just want a good bagel, you won’t be disappointed. If you are looking for a New York-style bagel, this is about as close as you are going to get in town. And if you want to get a bagel your way without worrying about what New Yorker’s say, just get the one with green chile and fuggedaboutit.
Kaufman’s Coffee and Bagels
2500 Central SW